France’s Dunkirk LNG terminal gets 1st Yamal cargo

Image courtesy of Dunkerque LNG

France’s Dunkirk LNG import terminal, the country’s fourth regasification facility, received its first cargo from the Novatek-operated Yamal LNG project in Russia, according to Dunkerque LNG, the terminal operator.

The ice-class tanker Boris Vilkitsky, chartered by French energy giant Total, unloaded 165,000-cbm of LNG to Dunkirk LNG’s tanks on January 25.

This is the French terminal’s eleventh commercial cargo since it officially began operations on January 1 last year.

Total holds a 20 percent stake in the Yamal LNG project and a 10 percent share in the Dunkirk facility.

The three-train Yamal LNG plant, designed to produce about 16.5 million tonnes per year, started liquefying and shipping the fuel in December 2017. It is Russia’s second LNG export facility.

The ice-class tankers carrying volumes from Yamal LNG will regularly transfer cargoes at north-west European terminals during winter, where conventional vessels can pick them up for delivery to Asia or other higher-paying markets.

During Arctic summer, Yamal LNG will be delivering the chilled fuel to Asian-Pacific markets via the Northern Sea Route.